How Much Does a Plumber Make? Plumber Salary Guide

Plumbing pays well, but the answer to “how much does a plumber make” is not one number. A first-year apprentice, a licensed journeyman and a master plumber running their own business can all be called plumbers, yet their pay can differ by a factor of three or more. Where you live also matters a lot: a plumber in one state can earn nearly double what the same work pays in another.

This guide breaks down the real numbers: the national average plumber salary, what apprentices, journeymen and master plumbers earn, how pay changes by state and region, what overtime and self-employment add, and what benefits come with the job. All national figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and where sources disagree, we say so — so you get ranges you can trust rather than a single cherry-picked figure. For more practical household guidance, visit our Home Improvement guides.

The Average Plumber Salary in the US

The headline figure most people quote is the national median. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Occupational Outlook Handbook), the median annual wage for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters was $62,970 in May 2024, or $30.27 an hour. Half of all workers in the occupation earned more than that and half earned less. The Bureau also reports that the lowest-paid 10 percent earned less than $40,670 a year, while the highest-paid 10 percent earned more than $105,150 — a wide spread that reflects differences in experience, location and whether the plumber works for a company or for themselves.

More recent Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data puts the median a little higher at $63,800 a year, or $30.67 an hour, in May 2025. The two figures come from different data years, so they do not contradict each other — they simply show the same occupation measured a year apart, with the later figure slightly higher. Trade salary sites sometimes quote higher averages, often above $70,000 a year, because they blend in self-employed earnings and use mean rather than median figures. A mean is pulled upward by a small number of very high earners, which is why the Bureau’s median is the more useful number for a typical employed plumber.

One thing the national figures do not show cleanly is that the Bureau groups plumbers together with pipefitters and steamfitters under one occupation code, so the published median covers the whole piping group rather than residential plumbers alone. That is the best official national figure available, and every source that quotes a precise “plumber-only” national median is really using the same combined figure. For the training path behind these pay levels, read our guide on how to become a plumber.

Pay by Level: Apprentice, Journeyman and Master Plumber

Pay in plumbing rises in clear steps that track your training and licence level. Understanding those steps matters more than the national average, because where you sit on the ladder sets your pay.

Apprentice Plumber Salary

Apprentices earn the least, but they earn while they learn. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, apprentices earn less than fully trained plumbers, and their pay rises as they take on more responsibility during the programme — but the Bureau does not publish a separate apprentice wage figure. In practice, apprentice pay commonly starts at around 40 to 50 percent of the journeyman rate and rises toward full journeyman pay by the final year, which in most areas works out to roughly $35,000 to $50,000 a year depending on location. Union apprenticeships typically publish a clear pay scale that rises each year of the five-year programme.

Journeyman Plumber Salary

A licensed journeyman is the standard working plumber, and their pay sits closest to the national median. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters earned a median of $62,970 a year in May 2024, and a typical employed journeyman lands in the $55,000 to $75,000 range, depending on state, employer and specialism. Journeymen in commercial or industrial work tend to earn more than residential service plumbers, and those in high-cost cities earn more than those in rural areas.

Master Plumber Salary

The master plumber salary is the top of the employed ladder. Masters who work for a company typically earn $75,000 to $100,000 a year or more, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the top 10 percent of the occupation earned more than $105,150 in May 2024 — a level reached mostly by experienced masters, specialists and business owners. A master licence also unlocks the ability to pull permits, supervise other plumbers and run a contracting business, which is where the largest earnings are. A plumber who holds a master licence has far more earning options than one who stops at journeyman.

Hourly Pay vs Annual Salary

Most plumbers are paid by the hour, and the annual figure is just the hourly rate multiplied out. The Bureau of Labor Statistics median of $30.27 an hour in May 2024 works out to $62,970 a year at a standard 40-hour week. The lowest-paid 10 percent earned under $19.55 an hour, while the top 10 percent earned over $50.55 an hour, according to the same data.

The hourly figure can be misleading on its own, because plumbers often work more than 40 hours a week. Emergency call-outs, weekend work and seasonal peaks — frozen pipes in winter, for example — mean overtime is common, and overtime is usually paid at time-and-a-half. A journeyman on $30 an hour who regularly works 50 hours a week earns closer to $83,000 a year once overtime is counted. Some employers also pay monthly or yearly salaries for senior roles, but hourly pay with overtime is the norm for working plumbers, and it is why the annual figure understates what many plumbers actually take home.

Plumber Salary by State and Region

Location is one of the biggest factors in plumber pay. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data for May 2025, the gap between the best- and worst-paying states is nearly $36,000 a year for the same work: plumbers in Oregon earned a median of about $74,920 a year, while plumbers in Arkansas earned a median of about $39,150. High-cost coastal states and states with strong union presence generally pay the most, while rural states with a lower cost of living pay the least — though you should compare pay against living costs, not in isolation.

Within states, cities pay more than rural areas. Plumbers in large metropolitan areas such as New York, San Francisco, Seattle and Chicago typically earn well above their state median, because the cost of living is higher, the work is more specialised and demand is constant. The Bureau publishes wage data by state and metropolitan area, so if you are choosing where to work, look up the figures for the specific area rather than relying on the state average. Regions also differ in the mix of work: areas with heavy commercial and industrial construction offer more high-paid pipefitting work, while areas with older housing stock offer steady residential repair work. For a sense of what plumbers actually do on the job, the Wikipedia article on plumbing gives a useful overview of household water and drainage systems.

Overtime, Emergency Call-Outs and Bonuses

Overtime is where many plumbers add a meaningful share of their income. Plumbing emergencies do not keep office hours — a burst pipe at midnight or a blocked sewer on a Sunday needs someone now, and that work pays a premium. Union contracts and many employers pay time-and-a-half for hours over 40 a week and double time for Sundays and public holidays, so a plumber who takes regular on-call shifts can add several thousand dollars a year to their base pay.

Emergency call-out fees add more. Some service companies charge customers $100 or more for an out-of-hours visit, and the plumber on call earns a share of that fee plus the hourly rate for the job. Performance bonuses also exist in larger service firms, tied to completed jobs, customer ratings or sales of maintenance plans. These extras are variable — a quiet month means less of them — but over a year they can lift a journeyman earning the median salary into the $70,000 to $80,000 range without any change in their base rate.

What Self-Employed Plumbers Make

Self-employed plumbers earn the most in the trade, and also take the most risk. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that about 10 percent of plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters are self-employed, and their earnings are not captured in the same way as employee wages — the Bureau’s median of $62,970 covers employees, while self-employed income depends entirely on the business. Trade salary sites commonly report self-employed master plumbers earning $90,000 to $150,000 a year or more once the business is established, but those figures are estimates from trade sources rather than published Bureau data, and the range is wide because it depends on pricing, location, reputation and how much of the work the owner does personally versus through employees.

The upside of self-employment is control: you set your rates, choose your jobs and keep the profit. The downside is everything else. You pay for your own insurance, vehicle, tools, marketing and tax, and you earn nothing during quiet weeks or holidays. Many plumbers who go self-employed take two to three years to build a reliable customer base, and the first year is often the hardest. The real earnings picture for a self-employed plumber looks like revenue minus business costs, not a salary — and pricing jobs correctly is a skill in its own right. If you want to know what hiring a plumber currently costs a customer, see our guide on how much a plumber costs.

Benefits Beyond the Paycheck

Pay is only part of the picture. Employed plumbers usually receive health insurance, paid holiday, sick pay and a pension or retirement plan, and union plumbers often get strong pension and health benefits through their union. These benefits can be worth 20 to 30 percent on top of the headline salary, which is why comparing an employed plumber’s pay with a self-employed plumber’s income without counting benefits is misleading.

Other benefits are less formal but real. Many employers provide a work vehicle, fuel, a phone and specialist tools. Overtime and on-call payments add income. Training and licence renewals are often paid for by the employer, and the trade offers genuine job security: according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters is projected to grow about 4 percent from 2024 to 2034, with about 44,000 openings a year as older workers retire. Newer projections put growth a little higher, around 7 percent from 2025 to 2035, depending on the data year. Compare that package with other trades before deciding — the headline salary is only one line of the deal.

How to Earn More as a Plumber

The levers for higher pay are clear, and most of them are within your control. First is licensing: moving from apprentice to journeyman to master plumber is the single biggest pay jump in the trade, and the master licence opens self-employment and permit work. Second is specialisation: gas fitting, backflow prevention, commercial pipefitting and medical gas work all pay more than standard residential repair, and each needs extra training and certification.

Third is location: moving to a high-demand metropolitan area or a state with higher median pay can raise earnings by thousands a year, though you must weigh that against higher living costs. Fourth is working for the right employer: union contractors, large service companies and industrial firms generally pay above small residential outfits, sometimes with better overtime and benefits. Fifth is going self-employed once you have the experience and customer skills — but the honest advice is to spend a few years as a journeyman with a good firm first, because estimating, customer handling and business systems are skills you learn on the job, and a failed first year in business is an expensive lesson. If you are weighing the practical side of the trade, our guide to how to fix a leaky faucet shows the kind of repair work a working plumber handles every week.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a plumber make a year?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters was $62,970 in May 2024, or $30.27 an hour. The lowest-paid 10 percent earned less than $40,670, and the highest-paid 10 percent earned more than $105,150. Newer Bureau data puts the median slightly higher at $63,800 in May 2025.

What is the average plumber salary for a beginner?

Apprentice plumbers earn the least in the trade, commonly starting at around 40 to 50 percent of journeyman pay, which works out to roughly $35,000 to $50,000 a year depending on location. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish a separate apprentice figure, but notes that apprentice pay rises as trainees take on more responsibility.

What is a master plumber salary?

Master plumbers working for a company typically earn $75,000 to $100,000 a year, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the top 10 percent of the occupation earned more than $105,150 in May 2024. Self-employed master plumbers with an established business can earn $90,000 to $150,000 or more, though those figures are trade estimates rather than published Bureau data.

Do plumbers earn more than electricians?

They are close. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters earned a median of $62,970 in May 2024, while electricians earned a median of $62,350 in the same period. Both are solid trades; pay differences come down to location, experience and specialism rather than the trade itself.

Can a plumber make $100,000 a year?

Yes. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the top 10 percent of plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters earned more than $105,150 in May 2024. Reaching that level usually means holding a master licence, specialising, working in a high-paying area, taking regular overtime, or running your own business.

Need a plumber today rather than a plumbing career? Call 1-840-799-8131.

Tom Harris

Tom Harris writes Homeyo's home improvement guides, covering repairs, renovations and the jobs worth tackling yourself. He has spent more than fifteen years working around homes and writing about practical DIY, and he knows which jobs are simple and which need a professional. His guides give you honest costs, clear steps and the confidence to get started.